IndianCricket Team is through to the semifinals and will face Australia in their endeavour to win 2015 Cricket World Cup. India has played flawlessly in the tournament until now winning all the matches.
India has managed to dismiss all the players seven times in a row which is a world record. Surprisingly, nobody expected Indian bowlers to do so well in the world as they lacked experience.
Also, in Badminton last week, Kidambi Srikanth of India defeated defending champion and second seed Axelsen 21-15, 12-21, 21-14 to clinch his third international title in 21 months. Despite being knocked out of the All England in the very first round last Wednesday the 22-year-old braved all odds, staged brilliant comebacks and survived several scares to triumph at the Swiss Tournament.
More or less everybody is aware of the heights achieved by ‘physically fit’ players but what about our Para Athletes? Who take care of their sporting needs? Who celebrate their achievements?
Over 600 disabled athletes from across India, who are in Ghaziabad for the 15th National Para-Athletic Championship, have been crammed into a couple of partially constructed buildings that will serve as their dorms for the three-day meet. Forget being disabled-friendly, the buildings are unfurnished and don't even have functional toilets and drinking water, forcing both male and female athletes to sleep on the floor and bathe and defecate in the open.
Mahesh Nehra (27), an athlete from Rajasthan who is participating in the 800m running event said,
"Female athletes have not had a bath for two days in a row. There is just one food stall. The food is neither good nor served on time. The dining area is not cleaned up after meals. We are being supplied the same bland food comprising rice, rotis and vegetables for the last two days. To get milk or fruits, we have to go to the nearest village, Duhai, which is around 2.5 km away."
Another athlete Kanhay Roy (20), an athlete from Jharkhand who is participating in the 100m sprint and javelin throw events said,
"On the first day, we slept on the floor. Windows had to be covered with old newspapers. The mattresses arrived only a day later.”
Players in team we made to sleep and rest together in windowless rooms with little or no bedding.
This is the state of our para-athletes who have to conquer not only the physically disability but public/ government/ official apathy. It is the need of the hour that we should give equal importance to our para-athletes instead of blaming other officials for players distraught.